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subscribe to style file blog via RSSHemingway On Hemingway; JT, Harvard Man; And More…
February 5, 2010
Dree Hemingway admits she hasn’t read all of her famous great-grandfather’s books. (In fairness, we haven’t read all of them, either.) Model book club, anyone? [NY Times]
Glamour checked in with some designers to see what they’re eating pre-fashion week, and the results are as stringently healthy—i.e., dull—as you’d expect. Amid a chorus of “green tea,” “salmon,” and “sushi,” we’ve got to give props to Daniel Vosovic, who admitted he eats leftover taco salad for breakfast. Our kinda guy! [Glamour]
Justin Timberlake goes to Harvard! The university’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals names him their Man of the Year tonight. [AP via Jezebel]
At Sonia Rykiel, “Sexiness Is Part Of Reality”
February 5, 2010
It’s been a good few years for Sonia Rykiel. At its Spring ‘09 show in Paris, the family-owned, family-run label celebrated its 40th year in business with an exuberant homage: a surprise show-within-the-show featuring Rykiel-inspired looks designed by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Martin Margiela, Giorgio Armani, and many others. Not long thereafter, Rizzoli published a history of the house, and not long after that, H&M announced that they would be collaborating with the brand on two collections. The first, a range of lingerie, debuted at the end of 2009; the second, a collection of accessories and signature Rykiel knits for women and girls, launches worldwide on February 20. Sonia Rykiel artistic director Nathalie Rykiel (pictured) was in town last night to preview the looks and took a few minutes to speak with Style.com about expensive clothes, free women, and why she can’t stop thinking about tomorrow.
How did the H&M collaboration come about?
Well, they called to ask if we were interested, and the answer was obvious.
Obvious how?
Because of the Rykiel philosophy. I love that we are part of this wonderful fashion universe, which is full of beautiful things that are very expensive. It’s fantastic to make women dream. But I had frustrations. You know, my mother, she was the first couturier to make ready-to-wear clothes that were affordable. Her original customers, who were very well-off, bourgeois, they didn’t like that at first—that a secretary could also be wearing Rykiel. But my mother decided, Rykiel is for everyone. That attitude is part of the brand. And so for that reason, working with H&M, it was obvious.
Sonia Rykiel celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. The brand has remained remarkably consistent over the years—you can see that in the book Sonia Rykiel—but do you think the woman who buys Sonia Rykiel has changed?
Yes and no. Sonia Rykiel has always been designed for the woman who is free. This is still true. What has changed, of course, is the context. The woman who buys Rykiel now is incredibly well educated about fashion, thanks to the media, and she is spoiled, in a good way, by the offer of products that exists today. And so, whereas in the beginning of Rykiel, you would see women who dressed in Rykiel head-to-toe—coat, hat, even shoes—now Rykiel is part of a wardrobe. The Rykiel woman loves to shop and she loves to mix. Even I do it. I’ll wear Rykiel with Prada, for instance. It’s the modern way. But there is still this attraction to the brand, a connection to what makes it distinct.
tags: H&M, Nathalie Rykiel, Sonia Rykiel
Donna Karan, Iron Maiden?
February 5, 2010
Parsons is launching two new master’s degree programs this fall—an MFA in Fashion Design and Society and an M.A. in Fashion Studies—an effort initiated by one of its most famous graduates. Well, almost-graduates.
Donna Karan left Parsons without a degree after she “failed draping and had to attend summer school,” she reported at a chat with FIT’s Valerie Steele at the New School last night; after two years, she simply headed for Anne Klein. That’s the carpe diem spirit she credits with her success. “If anybody has any plans, drop them. You have to be an alive-in-the-moment kind of person,” Karan recommended. She could’ve added alive-and-busy. Karan has been planning A Tent for Today, a Home for Tomorrow, a Haiti relief initiative launching next Monday, along with her upcoming Fall collection for fashion week, which she mysteriously hints will explore a new dimension for her work. “I’m pretty good at draping now,” she told us with a laugh after the talk. “In school, I could never figure out the iron! It was either too hot, or I just couldn’t get it quite right.” Safe to bet that Karan’s ironing days are behind her.
tags: Donna Karan, Parsons
An Evening Out With The Laurens
February 4, 2010
Like uncle, like nephew? The sartorial eye seems to run, no surprise, in the Lauren family. At Greg Lauren’s art installation Counter Couture at the French Institute, the L.A.-based designer and artist has mocked up a sort of combination workroom-showroom probably not too different from his famous uncle Ralph’s—the key difference being that all the clothes here are made out of Japanese paper.
“From a young age, I’ve noticed the way a pocket flap fades, or wrinkles when it’s washed,” Lauren explained of his meticulous creations (pictured). “I’d been introduced to certain icons of style through clothing,” whether that was army uniforms, the perfect suit, or nautical gear, he continued. “I was taught to love all these different male archetypes. And at a certain point, I wanted to understand why that was, as opposed to trying to aspire to be someone else,” he added. Hence his art, not to mention his designs, which (like the frayed, oversized black cardigan he was wearing at the opening) are more bohemian than most of what’s come out of the RL workshop.
Speaking of, where was that paterfamilias? “I think he was going to the theater tonight,” shrugged Dylan Lauren, who came by to greet her cousin (and his wife, actress Elizabeth Berkley) before heading downtown to meet brother David at a Haiti fundraiser at their dad’s Soho store. Ralph’s brother, Jerry Lauren, couldn’t be persuaded to join them. “That one’s for the kids only,” he winked.
tags: David Lauren, Dylan Lauren, Elizabeth Berkley, Greg Lauren, Jerry Lauren, Ralph Lauren
Fortune-Telling With Shipley & Halmos
February 4, 2010
Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos may not be in the business of slinging lo mein—too bad, as we imagine they’d whip up an exceptionally stylish version—but at their Fall ‘10 presentation today, we left with a familiar takeaway treat. The boys partnered with the art bookshop and nonprofit Printed Matter to create fortune cookies bearing cryptic pearls of wisdom in the brand’s signature font. Ours reads: ” ‘Rolex, Movado, Gucci, DVD?’ –Canal St.” Call it a critique of consumerism or, more likely, an oft-heard phrase outside their Greene Street office. Curious about other Shipley & Halmos fortunes? Starting next week, they’ll be available at the Chelsea store for 5 cents apiece.
tags: Printed Matter, Shipley and Halmos
Christian Does Dallas
February 4, 2010
His label may be in liquidation, but Christian Lacroix is keeping busy. The couturier is exploring new opportunities for his talents, the latest of which—the Berlin State Opera’s production of the Handel opera Agrippina, with costumes by Lacroix—opens tonight. The over-the-top story is, as he describes it, is “very Dallas and Dynasty, a bitchy soap opera.” His costumes are hardly melodramatic, however, and are in keeping with the sober, almost minimalist spirit he began to explore in his final collection. Chatting over coffee, Lacroix confessed that, compared to previous costuming projects he has undertaken, “this time it’s closer than ever to the couture. You might have seen some of this in a show if I’d had one this season. I tried not to be caricatural, taking a different, more contemporary approach.” His pared-down take on Baroque styling would no doubt have had couture clients drooling. As it is, we’re sure his new front-row ladies will be just as impressed.
Testing Their Medal
February 4, 2010
A fun part of fashion season is seeing who sends the best invites for shows. But as Style.com’s resident military expert—and former captain in the Third Marine Air Wing, First Marine Expeditionary Force—I was piqued when we received invitations to the Commonwealth Utilities show, which came packaged with actual military medals. (We were sent, left to right, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal, all of which are meant to be worn with dress uniforms.)
The criteria for awarding these medals are specific and clear. The DFC is for—I’m paraphrasing slightly, but the full description is available here—an “act of heroism above and beyond the call of duty, an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding as to clearly set the individual apart from his/her comrades.” The Bronze Star: “heroic or meritorious achievement or service while engaged in an action against an enemy…” These decorations stand for something. And it’s not a seat assignment.
Am I reading too much into this? Maybe. Overreacting? Perhaps. But in times like ours, where servicemen and -women are earning these medals in combat and many are dying on a daily basis, I find the reckless disregard by CU to the honor of the uniform offensive.
Oh, and by the way, if you’re thinking of pinning one of these freebies on and parading around in it during fashion week, you should be aware it’s illegal. In 2006, Congress passed the Stolen Valor Act, which prohibits wearing, selling, or manufacturing military decorations without authorization, as well as falsely representing oneself as having been awarded them. (You can read the full text of the act here.) It ain’t just words on paper, either—here’s a case of a man who was charged under it at the end of last year.
Semper Fi!
tags: Commonwealth Utilities
The New Right Hand At Diane, Scenes From The Crash, And More…
February 4, 2010
It’s a changing of the guard at DVF: Longtime creative director Nathan Jenden (pictured, with Diane) is stepping down to focus on his own line, and Yves Mispelaere—formerly of Chloé and Gucci—is taking the reins. [WWD]
Collab-happy Comme des Garçons is at it again. The brand is working with Moncler in Japan to launch a pop-up store at CDG’s revolving storefront in Aoyama, selling both labels’ designs and select co-branded items. In usually cryptic Comme fashion, a spokeswoman wouldn’t comment on what exactly would be offered. So…Tokyo road trip? [WWD]
The New York Times takes the temperature of Zac Posen, who’s toned down the theatrics of his shows and lifestyle to focus on his collections. It’s the latest in a long line of What the Recession Means to Me pieces, but it’s worth a read for the gossip and the good advice. (For example: Don’t try to style Zac with the Count from Sesame Street. It’s just a coincidence that they kind of look and dress alike.) [NYT]
Gawker’s story yesterday about fashion week’s attempted teenage crashers has every PR person in town on high alert. But these guys have snuck in before. Fashionista has a shot of Remy Renzullo sitting front-row at Derek Lam—right next to Suzy Menkes. Oops. [Fashionista]
The W Hotels chain has named a fashion director, stylist Amanda Ross. She’ll “associate [the W] with the right designers,” meaning we’re not sure exactly what. Discount rates for all? [WSJ]
tags: Amanda Ross, Comme des Garcons, Diane von Furstenberg, Moncler, Nathan Jenden, Remy Renzullo, Suzy Menkes, W Hotels, Yvan Mispelaere, Zac Posen
Elie Tahari, The CFDA Do Right By Humanity
February 4, 2010
It was chilly in New York last night, but the welcome couldn’t have been warmer at Diane von Furstenberg’s studio for Gohar Rajabzadeh, the first-ever winner of the CFDA’s Liz Claiborne Scholarship (pictured, left, with DVF and Art Ortenberg, Claiborne’s husband and business partner). Rajabzadeh, a senior at the Miami International University of Art & Design, is of Persian descent and grew up in Sweden. Inspired by both places, her designs are all about easy sportswear and outerwear, and she, fittingly, cites Liz Claiborne as a major influence. “I also love texture and playing with fabric. The one piece I think everyone should have is a great coat with a big hood and deep pockets.”
The deep-pocket appreciator now has a deep-pocketed benefactor. The $25,000 scholarship prize is endowed by Ortenberg in his late wife’s memory. “There’s nothing like being accepted by your peers,” the dapper Ortenberg told the crowd. “There were 20 finalists, but Gohar stood out.” The judging panel—which included Van Lupu, Dana Buchman, Andrew Rosen, Vena Cava’s Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock, Victoria Bartlett, and Ortenberg himself—agreed. “For a young designer, this is like winning the lottery,” said Elie Tahari. But there’s more than mere money at stake. “To support young designers is just a great thing for humanity,” he added. What could be warmer than that?
tags: Art Ortenberg, CFDA, Diane von Furstenberg, Elie Tahari, Gohar Rajabzadeh, Liz Claiborne
Miu Miu’s New Girl
February 4, 2010
The Prada blessing continues for Lindsay Wixson. The Kansas-born beauty opened Prada’s Spring show and closed Miu Miu’s, and now she’s turned up—no great surprise—as the face of Miu Miu for Spring. The brand says she’s got “more than a touch of the fawn” in her, though we think—appropriately for this season’s kitty prints—there’s some feline, too. Mert and Marcus shot the campaign in London.
tags: Lindsay Wixson, Miu Miu, Prada
